Norman Reedus says he has a hard time without his friend Andrew Lincoln on 'The Walking Dead' anymore

Besties Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus on stage at New York Comic Con inside the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.
Andrew Toth/Getty Images for New York Comic Con

Norman Reedus said he was among the first to know his friend Andrew Lincoln was leaving "The Walking Dead" on season nine.

It hasn't been easy since Lincoln left, Reedus said.

Reedus recalled how his friend used to eat lunch in his trailer every day. The first day Lincoln wasn't on set, Reedus "just kind of sat there."

The actor holds onto some things Lincoln left behind in his trailer including a used mug covered with some blood that he won't let anyone wash.

Andrew Lincoln is leaving " The Walking Dead" during season nine and at New York Comic Con Norman Reedus told fans the two originally made a deal to leave the show together several seasons back.

"Oh man, that was hard. I think I kind of knew before a lot of people knew," Reedus said during the AMC show's Saturday panel in response to a fan question about when the cast learned Lincoln was leaving. "We kind of had a pact at one point that we weren't going to leave [the show] without each other."

Reedus told fans it's been a little difficult getting used to being on set without his friend and prank war companion.

"I understood him leaving, but, I don't know, the first day he was gone... he used to come to my trailer and eat lunch every day," said Reedus. "The day after he left, I went to my trailer and just kind of sat there. I didn't know what to do."

Norman Reedus reaches out fondly to his friend Andrew Lincoln. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for AMC Norman Reedus said he was one of the first to know Lincoln was going to leave the show. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for AMC

Reedus has some mementos of his former cast mate that he's holding onto.

"The last day he was in there, he was covered in blood and he sat on one of my chairs," Reedus said to laughter from the crowd. "I still won't let anyone clean the chair."

Reedus noted that it's a little disgusting.

"He also has a coffee mug that Andy drank out of that has blood on the outside of it and he won't let anyone wash that either," added Melissa McBride, who plays Carol on the show.

"That's also disgusting," said Reedus.

Daryl's (Reedus) relationship with Rick (Lincoln) on the show started off a bit rocky, but after several seasons the two came to refer to each other as brothers. During the NYCC panel, AMC screened fans' favorite scene of Rick Grimes and it was a moment from the season four finale when Rick first refers to Daryl as his brother.

After Rick, Michonne, and Carl are nearly killed by another group, Daryl and Rick have a heart to heart that makes their bond stronger. AMC

You'll be able to see more of their relationship, which is a little bumpy again, when season nine returns.